Release Date: 03.2018

HCWTF Training Grants were awarded to 59 organizations across the state to address workforce skill needs identified by health care providers working to improve patient care and reduce costs. Here are 12 case studies representing a range of projects.

Release Date: 02.2018

The home care industry has been struggling for years to meet the growing demand for services while attempting to build a sustainable business model and grow and maintain a decentralized workforce. The need for these essential front-line caregivers has never waned. But, the pressures placed on agencies that participate in Massachusetts’ State Home Care Program have grown exponentially, as have the challenges to recruit and retain more qualified workers. Read this piece from the Home Care Aide Foundation & Council to learn more.

Release Date: 02.2018

Funded by Tufts Health Plan Foundation, a new study of the home care industry that supports elders receiving state and federal assisted home care, reveals major challenges related to the Home Care Aide workforce. These issues will inevitably lead to an insufficient number of workers to meet the growing demands of the aging population in the Commonwealth. Click below for a brief of key findings by the Home Care Aide Council to learn more.

Release Date: 02.2018

Despite a growing demand for elder care, particularly care provided in the home, the supply of home care workers is falling short. The instability of the home care workforce, caused by high turnover, increasing vacancy rates, and shortages of quality home care aides, is leading to a crisis in the long-term services and supports system (Seavey & Marquand, 2011). With over 1 million new home care aide positions needed by 2026 to meet the needs of the country’s aging boomers, the supply of workers will not meet the demand (PHI, 2017). Read this study by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and Home Care Aide Foundation for more.

2017

Release Date: 12.2017

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta says CommCorp is “a vital component of the work we are doing in the Baker-Polito Administration to ensure that every person across the Commonwealth, regardless of their backgrounds or experiences, has access to opportunities that will improve their circumstances and empower them to change their futures.” For more, read our FY17 Annual Report.

Release Date: 02.2017

As a result of this grant, 670 people were placed in jobs at 447 companies; this is 82% of graduates and 74% of participants, compared to a national enrollment to placement rate of 56% for similar programs. Read this one pager for more details and outcomes from the Addressing the Middle Skills Gap Grant Program which ran from 2013-2016.

Release Date: 01.2017

The purpose of this analysis is to provide data that informs policy and practice in the education and workforce development fields. This report documents statewide trends, placing the Massachusetts experience in the national context. We use data from a number of federal and state sources to inform our analysis. These data are the latest available as of August 2016.

Release Date: 07.2017

Chapter 224 of the Acts of 2012—“An Act Improving the Quality of Health Care and Reducing Costs Through Increased Transparency, Efficiency and Innovation”—was enacted with the goal of controlling health care spending growth while improving access and quality. Section 251 of the law posed research questions and directed the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) to “conduct a comprehensive review of the im­pact of [Chapter 224] on the health care payment and delivery system in the Commonwealth and on health care consumers, the health care work­force, and general public.”

Release Date: 07.2017

The paper examines changes that have occurred in the demographic traits and the employment patterns and earnings of the state’s health care workforce between 2011, the year before the passage of Chapter 224, and the most current year for which data are available, 2015.

Release Date: 07.2017

This paper provides information on trends in postsecondary completions in health care-related fields of study in Massachusetts over the 2001 to 2012 period, representing the period before the passage of Chapter 224 or what the authors label as the “pre-Chapter 224 period” and over the period of three years following the enactment of Chapter 224, 2012 to 2015 which the authors have labeled the “post-Chapter 224 period”.

Release Date: 07.2017

Fundamental changes have occurred in the way that health care is delivered in Massachusetts in recent years and this is reflected in the changing nature of demand for labor among the various component industries that make up the health care and social assistance sector. This paper examines the nature of these changes along a variety of labor market related dimensions and makes some observations about the outlook for growth and future change in health care diagnostic and practitioner occupations and in health care support/direct care occupations.

Release Date: 07.2017

This paper examines mass layoff activity within the state’s health care and social services industry relative to other major industry sectors over the 2004 to 2012 period, just before the implementation of Chapter 224. This discussion places the mass layoffs that have occurred in the health care and social assistance sector in the context of overall mass layoff activity in Massachusetts.

Release Date: 07.2017

This research brief presents a profile of 15 occupations in the Massachusetts health care industry. These occupations were selected on the basis of their importance within the state’s health care industry; either because of strong growth in employment or because of the emerging importance of the role that workers in these occupations play in the changing health care service delivery environment in the state.

Release Date: 07.2017

This special topics report summarizes publicly available data and information gathered through interviews and focus groups with employers, workers, labor leaders and state officials in order to understand the labor market context of three already large and fast growing health care support and direct care occupations: home health aides, personal care aides, and community health workers (CHWs)/social and human service assistants.

Release Date: 07.2017

As health care employers align with the goals of Chapter 224 and cost controls begin to alter the delivery of health care services in differing ways within the sector, providers are changing some of their business processes, occupational job descriptions, and staffing structures. In anticipation of these changing skill and knowledge demands, Chapter 224 established the Health Care Workforce Transformation Fund. The Fund was designed to support education and training initiatives to help health care employers address workforce challenges that are related to organizational and operational changes they need to make to implement Chapter 224. Commonwealth Corporation issued a Request for Proposals for Health Care Workforce Transformation Training grants and in 2015 awarded grants to 55 organizations. In 2016 Commonwealth Corporation awarded Training grants to 4 additional organizations, for a total of 59 grants. This paper provides information about the Training grant applications and the 59 grants.

Release Date: 12.2017

The recently released report from Giffords Law Center, PICO National Network, and the Community Justice Reform highlights the impact of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative and Shannon Community Safety Initiative, evidence-based violence prevention and intervention programs at work here in Massachusetts. It also details other interventions in New York and Connecticut and identifies the six components that are key to reducing violence.

Release Date: 05.2017

More than six years after the recovery from the Great Recession of 2007-2009, Massachusetts’ overall economy and labor markets have improved markedly. However, the gain in employment has not been uniform across age groups. The youngest workers (16-to-19 years old) continue to be disconnected from the labor market. This research report assesses the year-round and summer employment experiences of teens in Massachusetts and the U.S. over the past 4 decades (1978-1979 to 2015-2016).

Release Date: 06.2017

Over the past few years, Commonwealth Corporation has been studying the underlying causes of the decline in youth employment. We recently took the next step to understand how to prepare young workers and entry-level workers to navigate their careers and prepare and present themselves for advancement opportunities. We are excited to release a preview of the findings from the business phase of our research in the form of tips and best practices for businesses on developing entry-level talent, for programs that serve young workers, and for entry-level employees themselves.

Release Date: 06.2017

Commonwealth Corporation has been studying the underlying causes of the decline in youth employment. We are now working to understand how to best prepare young workers and entry level workers to navigate their careers. Using data from interviews and a survey of 200+ employers we’ve assembled the tips below to support your work in preparing young workers and entry level workers for their future careers.

Release Date: 08.2017

Signal Success is a comprehensive curriculum designed and tested by education and workforce development partners to help young people develop essential skills for future success. Students receive systematic instruction in core soft skills while engaging in meaningful future planning. Click here to read more.

Release Date: 09.2017

This one-pager focuses on investments the WCTF made in manufacturing partnerships to demonstrate not only the short term impact they had on employers and workers, but also to highlight the WCTF’s ability to build regional capacity.

Release Date: 12.2017

The WCTF serves men and women across the Commonwealth who are ready to engage in programming but require targeted support to succeed in employment. The population we serve includes individuals who may have experienced trauma or challenges in their past and also may rely on aid from public benefits to support their families, individuals who have been disconnected from the workforce, and people who might not have been able to complete school. Some might not speak English as their first language, have health problems and/or struggle with substance addiction, and some have disabilities.

Release Date: 02.2017

The YouthWorks 2016 Databook details the YouthWorks 2016 Job Program. This year 4,658 youth in over 31 cities across the Commonwealth successfully completed summer job opportunities. It is submitted to General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Release Date: 2016

Release Date: 2016

This report reflects the growth and breadth of the Massachusetts juvenile justice education system through the DYS current contract with the Commonwealth Corporation (“CommCorp”), referred to as the Comprehensive Education Partnership Initiative (CEP).

Release Date: 2016

The various programs at Commonwealth Corporation work with youth and adults to build skills and secure pathways to a career, and with businesses to up-skill current workers and build a pipeline for future employees. In this year’s annual report we focus on programming in four categories: (1) youth jobs; (2) services for youth at risk; (3) unemployed adults training; and (4) workforce training for businesses.

Release Date: 12.2016

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald L. Walker, II, describes CommCorp as a “driving force behind making sure more residents acquire the skills, education and training they need to compete for jobs.” For more, read our FY16 Annual Report.

Release Date: 12.2016

This report provides additional detail on the progress to date of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund Addressing the Middle Skills Gap and FY’16 Appropriation grant programs. This report does not include final outcomes for previous rounds of funding awarded under the WCTF, which have been reported in previous annual progress reports.

Release Date: 10.2016

In Gateway City regions with an aging and under-skilled labor force, workforce development is an essential ingredient for future economic growth. This report breaks down workforce development to give municipal leaders a better sense of the field. New analysis dissects the demand for these services in Gateway City markets, and best practices for improving participant outcomes. This information is set against the backdrop of changes ushered in by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which took effect last year, as well as broader efforts to reinvent education and career training for a rapidly shifting economy. Report prepared by MassINC Gateway Cities Innovation Institute with assistance from Commonwealth Corporation.

Release Date: 2016

This two page tool details effective practices in sectoral employment programs by identifying 4 key features of sectoral employment programs and tips for local program designers. It details the concepts underlying Massachusetts sectoral employment programs and the core elements around Massachusetts’ approach.

Release Date: 2016

This report describes the results of a pilot study designed to test the effectiveness of the career-readiness and career exploration curriculum, Signal Success, developed for teens at high school and community-based programs. The findings offer an opportunity to look at noncognitive learning in practice and explore the types of skills that may be most relevant to success in school and work.

Release Date: 09.2016

In this brief we share information about the reasons behind the growing use of online applications and pre-hire assessments in hiring (particularly at the entry-level), the format of the applications and strategies to prepare job seekers to complete online applications. This brief grew out of one of the findings from our 2013 study, Signaling Success: Boosting Teen Employment Prospects.

Release Date: 2016

This case study features Building Pathways, one of the grantee recipients from 2013 WCTF Awards and how they work with partners like Sullivan & McLaughlin along with many others to bring more women and minorities into the trades.

Release Date: 2015

Release Date: 2015

The YouthWorks 2015 Data Book is submitted to General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. It details the YouthWorks 2015 Job Program.

Release Date: 07.2014

Release Date: 10.2014

This brief is part of Commonwealth Corporation’s effort to support health care provider, community college, workforce investment board, career center and community based organization staff, and policymakers in understanding the potential impact of Massachusetts’ health care cost containment and quality improvement law (Chapter 224) on the health care industry’s demand for skilled workers. We are learning a great deal about how the state’s health care providers are addressing a variety of workforce skills challenges associated with operational changes they are making to comply with Chapter 224.

Release Date: 07.2014

Release Date: 07.2014

This report summarizes the results of a formal gap analysis of the clinical lab workforce in the Pioneer Valley and Berkshire regions, including supply and demand data. The report also contains the aggregated regional results of a laboratory skill assessment. The report provides strategies that could be used to address workforce issues for these occupations and makes recommendations for next steps. The Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, Inc. produced this report on behalf of the Healthcare Workforce Partnership of Western Massachusetts. Funding was provided through a planning grant from the Healthcare Workforce Transformation Fund (2014).

Release Date: 11.2014

In 2013 Commonwealth Corporation examined the historically low teen employment rates and surveyed employers to identify their perceptions of teens in the workplace. This two-page brief outlines some of the findings from that study and offers ways employers, education institutions, and workforce organizations can better prepare young people for work.

Release Date: 04.2013

This report is the culmination of an 18-month project to better understand labor demand and supply across the state. This report defines a problem and issues a call to action and serves as the final product of Skills Gap: Supply & Demand in the Massachusetts Economy.

Release Date: 05.2013

Through our work as funders and evaluators, we have observed what characterizes partnerships in workforce development and what contributes to their effectiveness. This Guidebook contains the following elements designed to use useful for workforce practitioners: key questions and action steps at the end of each chapter, examples from partnerships, tools and templates that may be readily used by practitioners, and case studies.

Release Date: 04.2013

This study examines the historically low teen employment rates and identifies employer perceptions of teens in the workplace. Signaling Success: Boosting Teen Employment Prospects was released at a Workforce Development in Practice series event on April 2, 2013 in Worcester.

2012

Release Date: 09.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities. Labor Market Trends is a joint project of Commonwealth Corporation and the New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Release Date: 09.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Berkshire Region, was released at a Berkshire Chamber of Commerce ‘Eggs and Issues’ event in Pittsfield on September 27, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 10.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities. Labor Market Trends is a joint project of Commonwealth Corporation and the New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Release Date: 10.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Boston/Metro North Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Framingham on October 1, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 12.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities.

Release Date: 12.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Cape & Islands Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Hyannis on December 18, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 10.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities.

Release Date: 10.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Central Mass Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Shrewsbury on October 24, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 06.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities. Labor Market Trends is a joint project of Commonwealth Corporation and the New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Release Date: 06.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Metro South/West Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Framingham on June 26, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 11.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities.

Release Date: 11.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Northeast Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in North Andover on November 8, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 11.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities.

Release Date: 11.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Pioneer Valley Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Springfield on November 14, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

Release Date: 10.2012

This report provides a detailed picture of the region’s current and future labor supply. It is designed to help guide workforce development professionals, policy makers, and civic, education, and business leaders as they make decisions about education and training opportunities.

Release Date: 10.2012

The report, Labor Market Trends in the Southeast Region, was released at a Skills Gap: Supply and Demand in the Massachusetts Economy event in Bridgewater on October 17, 2012. This is the powerpoint presentation from the event.

2011

Release Date: 11.2011

This guidebook for workforce practitioners offers step-by-step instructions to measuring the business impact of workforce programs. It features case studies, tools, tips and worksheets based on Commonwealth Corporation’s experience in measuring business impact of workforce programs in Massachusetts.

Release Date: 09.2011

This report examines the challenges and opportunities of measuring the impact of workforce development programs on employers. Measuring Business Impact looks at impact of the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund’s (WCTF) 31 projects across multiple industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, trades and financial services.

Release Date: 07.2011

This report was prepared by the Center for Labor Markets & Policy at Drexel University for Commonwealth Corporation. It provides an overview of trends in the labor force among the nation’s older population and presents more recent labor market outcomes of older workers in the nation and in Massachusetts. This report also examines the industries and occupations in which older workers in Massachusetts are employed and the change across the different industries/occupations.

2010

Release Date: 03.2010

Commonwealth Corporation recognizes the growing threat of information and identity theft and continues to formulate and implement policies that take steps to safeguard information. This policy is designed to safeguard Information Assets, including but not limited to Personal Information (Defined in Section III Personal Information), and Confidential Information (Defined in Section III Confidential Information) that is collected, used, stored, disposed, or disseminated in the process of providing services. This policy should be used as a basis for creating training for each staff member and as a general guide for each employee. If anything in this policy is not clear, or individuals do not understand how this policy relates to their function, an employee should contact the Information Security Officer or their direct manager for clarification as each employee is responsible for maintaining the security of Information Assets (Defined in Section IV.7 ) used during their daily duties.